How to Use a Lemon to Clean Your Entire House

Are you looking for a chemical-free way to clean your home and leave it smelling amazing? Look no farther than your kitchen! Here are some great ways to use a lemon to clean your entire house.

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Are you looking for a natural, chemical-free way to clean your home?

Do you want your home to not only feel clean, but to smell clean, too?

Then you need to head into your kitchen and grab a lemon!

The citric acid in lemon juice acts a natural cleaning agent that will cut through certain types of stains. It’s also very effective at cutting though soap scum. Imagine a sparkling clean shower door that’s free of soap scum and smells amazing!

So before reaching for those harsh cleaning sprays that are filled with harmful chemicals, grab a lemon instead!

Here are some great ways to use a lemon to clean your entire house.

And don’t forget to check out these other uses for lemons, too!

Clean Stained Food Containers

I had a few plastic food containers that were stained with leftover spaghetti sauce. (I know you secretly have one or two of these hidden away, too!) Get those stains off by using a lemon to clean them. Here’s how:

Cut a lemon in half and squeeze some lemon juice directly into the container. Use the cut side of the lemon to rub the juice around the container, focusing on the stains. Then, set the containers out in the sun to dry. After they have dried, wash the plastic containers as you normally would. Those stubborn sauce stains should disappear!

Clean Your Cutting Boards

Since cutting boards are used to prep the foods you eat, you probably don’t want to wash them with harsh chemical cleaners. The process for removing stains from wood or plastic cutting boards is similar to cleaning food containers.

First, cut a lemon in half and squeeze the juice directly onto the cutting board. Then, rub the juice in with the cut side of the lemon and let it sit for about 20 minutes. The acid will work on the stains, leaving you with a fresh, clean cutting board.

Get Shinier Plates

Put a cup of lemon juice in a dishwasher-safe container and set it on the top rack of the dishwasher. Then, run a load as normal to get clean, shiny plates!

Clean Your Microwave

Remove crusty, caked-on foods easily from your microwave by microwaving a bowl of water with fresh lemon juice for 3 to 5 minutes, or until it starts to boil. Then wait another 5 minutes before opening the door so the steam can do it’s magic on the walls of the microwave. Finally, remove the bowl and wipe down the inside of the microwave.

Deodorize Your Garbage Disposal

After a while, your garbage disposal can really start to stink. If you notice a yucky odor coming from the drain, run a few lemon rinds through the garbage disposal to eliminate the smell.

Brighten up Kitchen and Bathroom Faucets

Spritz lemon juice on kitchen and bathroom faucets, wait 10 to 15 minutes, then wipe clean. The lemon juice removes hard water buildup and/or mineral deposits from your faucets.

Easily Clean Your Cheese Grater

I don’t use a cheese grater often, but I hate to clean it when I do! It’s so hard to get the sticky cheese out of those tiny holes. However, cutting a lemon in half and running the cut side along the grater makes it so much easier to clear away all the leftover pieces of cheese!

Brighten Up White Clothes

I am unable to use bleach on anything and because of that I’m definitely not putting it on clothes that will be touching my skin. So instead of using bleach to brighten whites, lemon juice does the trick just as well.

To use lemons to make white clothes brighter, just add one-half cup of lemon juice to a gallon of hot water. Boil the water for a few minutes, then soak your whites in the mixture for at least an hour or overnight. Then wash as you normally would.

If your whites are not too terribly stained, you can add one-half cup of lemon juice in place of bleach to your wash cycle.

Tip: It’s best to use lemon juice on cottons and polyester only!

Make a Lemon-Scented Degreaser

To make a natural degreasing spray, combine 2 cups water, 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon Castile soap, and 1 tablespoon baking soda in a spray bottle. Swirl the bottle to mix the ingredients well. This recipe works on almost any hard surface besides wood. The lemon fights stains and disinfects, while the baking soda acts as a gentle abrasive.

Polish Furniture

Before heading to the store to buy a furniture polish full of harmful chemicals, consider making your own natural lemon-scented furniture polish. Just combine 2 parts olive oil with 1 part lemon juice in a small container. Then apply it a cloth to wood tables and chairs.

Tip: Be sure to try the DIY polish on a small section to make sure it won’t stain. Remember – not all finishes are created equally!

Make Your Bathtub Sparkle

A grimy bathtub is gross and uninviting. Who wants to relax in a dirty tub? You can use a lemon to clean your bathtub and leave it sparkling!

Mix equal parts baking soda and cream of tartar, then add in a little bit of lemon juice. Rub the paste on the stained tub and let it sit for 30 minutes. Then, rinse the bathtub to reveal a clean and sparkling bathtub.

Clean Shower Doors

Pour some lemon juice in a spray bottle and spray it directly on the shower doors. Allow it to sit for a minute or so, then wipe clean with a clean, damp cloth. Thanks to the acidity in the lemon, the soap scum comes right off!

Tip: Don’t use lemons to clean natural stone!

Freshen the Air Naturally

Litter boxes, paint fumes, and cooked fish or broccoli can leave your home smelling a tad gross. Luckily, lemons can save the day and leave your home smelling fresh and clean. Add several slices of lemon or lemon peels to a small pot of water and simmer for about an hour.

As you can see, lemons are perfect for cleaning. And not only will your home be clean, it will smell clean, too!

Do you use a lemon to clean certain areas of your home? I’d love to hear your tips in the comments!

Looking for more cleaning tips? Read these next:

• 12 Ways to Use a Toothbrush for Cleaning
• Natural Cleaning Supplies with Recipes
• How to Clean Your Bedroom in Just 15 Minutes
• How to Clean Your Mattress the Right Way